Cómo programar con VBT y dejar atrás las conjeturas

If you’ve ever watched an athlete grind through a set that was supposed to be “explosive,” you know the frustration. The program said 80% of 1RM. The athlete did the math. The bar moved like it was stuck in concrete. Something clearly wasn’t right—but what?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that traditional percentage-based training doesn’t want you to hear: your athlete’s 1RM fluctuates by 10-20% depending on sleep, stress, nutrition, and accumulated fatigue¹. That perfectly calculated 80% load? It might actually be 90% today—or 70% tomorrow. This is precisely why coaches who understand how to program with VBT (Velocity-Based Training) are producing athletes who adapt faster, stay healthier, and perform when it matters.

Let’s break down exactly how to implement velocity-based programming in your training systems, using tools like Aplicación Spleeft to measure and monitor the metrics that actually predict performance.

What Makes VBT Different from Traditional Programming

Traditional strength programming has relied on the percentage-of-1RM model since the Soviet era. It works—to a point. But here’s the catch: this approach assumes your maximum strength is a fixed number that remains constant between testing sessions¹². In reality, an athlete’s true 1RM can shift dramatically based on their daily readiness.

Velocity-Based Training flips this paradigm by using movement speed as the primary indicator of training intensity. The faster an athlete moves a given load (with maximal intent), the lighter that load is relative to their current capacity. The relationship between load and velocity is remarkably consistent and linear across trained individuals²³.

The foundational research from González-Badillo and Sánchez-Medina established that barbell velocity correlates strongly with %1RM across multiple exercises². This means you can use velocity data to:

• Estimate 1RM without maximal testing

• Prescribe training loads based on real-time performance

• Monitor fatigue and readiness instantly

• Autoregulate volume within a session

This is where an app like Aplicación Spleeft becomes invaluable. Instead of hoping your athletes are training at the right intensity, you can measure their velocity in real-time and make informed decisions on the spot.

Understanding the Load-Velocity Profile: Your New Training Compass

Before you can effectively program with VBT, you need to understand the perfil carga-velocidad—the individualized relationship between the weight on the bar and how fast your athlete can move it.

Think of it as your athlete’s fingerprint for a given exercise. When plotted on a graph, the relationship forms a nearly linear line: as load increases, velocity decreases predictably²⁴. This profile allows you to:

1. Predict 1RM from submaximal loads — No need to take athletes to failure

2. Identify force-velocity characteristics — Is your athlete force-dominant or velocity-dominant?

3. Track progress over time — A shift in the profile indicates adaptation

4. Prescribe loads with precision — Target specific velocity zones for desired adaptations

Building a Load-Velocity Profile with Spleeft App

To create an accurate profile, you’ll need velocity data across 4-6 loads ranging from light (~40-50% 1RM) to heavy (~85-90% 1RM)⁵. Here’s a practical protocol:

1. Warm-up thoroughly with the target exercise

2. Start with an empty bar or light load and perform 3-5 reps at maximal intent

3. Add weight progressively (10-15% jumps) and record the best rep velocity at each load

4. Continue until velocity drops below ~0.5 m/s (for most exercises)

5. Plot the data to visualize the load-velocity relationship

Spleeft App automatically generates this profile as you train, updating it continuously based on your recent performance data. The app uses your historical velocity data to estimate your 1RM without ever requiring a true max attempt—a game-changer for managing athlete health and training readiness⁶.

The Minimum Velocity Threshold: Where the Profile Meets Reality

Every exercise has a Minimum Velocity Threshold (MVT)—the slowest velocity at which a full repetition can be completed. This is essentially the velocity at 1RM². Understanding MVT is critical for accurate 1RM estimation and appropriate load selection.

When your load-velocity profile intersects with the MVT, you’ve found your estimated 1RM. Spleeft App calculates this automatically, giving you a reliable strength baseline that updates as your athlete progresses.

Velocity Zones: Programming for Specific Adaptations

One of the most powerful applications of VBT is the ability to target specific training adaptations by prescribing velocity zones rather than arbitrary percentages. Different movement speeds correspond to different neuromuscular demands and, consequently, different training outcomes⁸⁹.

Training Zone	Rango de velocidad (m/s)	Approx. %1RM	Primary Adaptation
Fuerza absoluta	< 0.50	≥ 80%	Maximal strength, neural efficiency
Fuerza acelerativa	0.50 – 0.75	65-80%	Force production, motor unit recruitment
Fuerza-Velocidad	0.75 – 1.00	50-65%	Power output, explosive strength
Velocidad-Fuerza	1.00 – 1.30	35-50%	Rate of force development
Starting Velocity	> 1.30	< 35%	Reactive ability, ballistic power

How to Use Velocity Zones in Practice

Let’s say you’re working with a volleyball player who needs to improve jump performance. Traditional programming might prescribe “5×5 @ 75%”—but that tells you nothing about the actual training stimulus.

Using velocity zones with Spleeft App, you could program:

Power Development Block:

• Sentadilla trasera: 4×3 @ 0.75-0.90 m/s (strength-velocity zone)

• Salto con barra trampa: 4×3 @ >1.0 m/s (velocity-strength zone)

The athlete warms up, finds the load that puts them in the target velocity zone, and trains there. If they’re fatigued and velocity drops below the zone, you reduce load or end the set. If they’re fresh and velocity is too fast, you add weight. The velocity zone ensures the intended adaptation, regardless of daily fluctuations in absolute strength.

Velocity Loss Thresholds: The Smarter Way to Manage Fatigue

Perhaps no concept in VBT programming has generated more research interest than pérdida de velocidad—the decrease in bar velocity across repetitions within a set. This metric provides a real-time window into fatigue accumulation and proximity to failure¹⁰¹¹.

The landmark research from Pareja-Blanco and colleagues demonstrated that the magnitude of velocity loss experienced during a set is a critical variable determining training outcomes¹⁰. Here’s what the evidence shows:

The Practical Application

Here’s where how to program with VBT becomes genuinely exciting. Instead of prescribing a fixed rep count, you can prescribe a velocity loss threshold and let the athlete’s daily readiness determine the volume.

Example Protocol:

• Ejercicio: Back Squat

• Carga: First rep at ~0.65 m/s

• Velocity Loss Threshold: 20%

• Conjuntos: 4

The athlete performs reps until velocity drops to ~0.52 m/s (20% loss from 0.65), then stops the set. On a good day, they might get 6 reps. On a harder day, maybe 4. Either way, the fatigue stimulus is equivalent—and that’s the point.

Spleeft App makes this effortless by displaying velocity loss zones in real-time. You set your threshold, and the app tells you when to stop. No more grinding reps that do more harm than good.

Four Proven Programming Methods Using VBT

Now let’s get into the nuts and bolts. There are several evidence-based methods for how to program with VBT, each with distinct advantages depending on your context and goals¹⁵.

Method 1: Percentage-Based with Velocity Feedback

This is the most accessible entry point to VBT. Athletes follow traditional %1RM prescriptions but receive velocity feedback to enhance intent and monitor readiness¹⁵.

Ejemplo: 4×5 @ 80% 1RM with velocity tracking

Advantages:

• Familiar structure for coaches and athletes

• Velocity data reveals if loads are appropriate

• Builds historical database for future programming

When to Use: Introducing VBT to a team, early off-season phases, or when you want velocity data without overhauling your current system.

Method 2: Velocity Zone Prescription

Prescribe a target velocity zone rather than a percentage. Athletes warm up to find the load that produces the desired velocity and train at that load¹⁵.

Ejemplo: 4×3 @ 0.50-0.65 m/s (accelerative strength zone)

Advantages:

• Automatically adjusts for daily readiness

• Ensures precise training stimulus

• Eliminates guesswork from load selection

When to Use: Phase-specific training, when targeting particular adaptations, or with athletes who have established load-velocity profiles.

Method 3: Velocity Loss Cut-offs

Sets end when velocity drops by a predetermined percentage from the fastest rep, controlling fatigue and rep quality¹⁰¹⁵.

Ejemplo: 4 sets @ 0.55 m/s starting velocity, 20% velocity loss cut-off

Advantages:

• Autoregulates volume based on fatigue

• Prevents junk volume

• Preserves rep quality throughout the session

When to Use: In-season training, power development phases, or when managing accumulated fatigue is critical.

Method 4: Undetermined Reps Within Velocity Range (AMRAP)

Athletes perform as many reps as possible while staying within a defined velocity window. The set ends when velocity drops below the lower threshold¹⁵.

Ejemplo: AMRAP @ 0.45-0.60 m/s

Advantages:

• Maximizes effective volume

• Self-regulating based on daily capacity

• Excellent for monitoring work capacity over time

When to Use: General preparation phases, building work capacity, or when you want maximum productive volume.

Implementing VBT with Spleeft App: A Practical Workflow

Let’s walk through how a coach might implement VBT programming using Spleeft App across a training week.

Day 1: Lower Body Strength-Power

Objetivo: Develop strength-velocity qualities for improved acceleration

1. Open Spleeft App and select the athlete’s profile

2. Back Squat Warm-up: Progressive loading, recording velocity at each weight

   • The app automatically updates the load-velocity profile

   • Monitor the estimated 1RM display—if it’s lower than usual, the athlete may need load adjustments

3. Work Sets: 4×4 @ 0.55-0.70 m/s with 15% velocity loss cut-off

   • Spleeft displays real-time velocity and alerts when the threshold is reached

   • If velocity stays high, consider adding 2.5-5kg for subsequent sets

4. Trap Bar Jumps: 4×3 @ >1.0 m/s

   • Pure velocity-strength work; if velocity drops below target, reduce load immediately

Day 2: Upper Body Strength

Objetivo: Build pressing strength with controlled fatigue

1. Bench Press Progressive Loading: Build to working weight while Spleeft tracks velocities

2. Work Sets: 5×3 @ 0.35-0.50 m/s with 20% velocity loss threshold

   • The app shows you’re in the accelerative strength zone

   • Velocity feedback confirms each rep is training the intended quality

3. Session Review: Check the app’s summary—total reps, average velocity, velocity loss trends

   • Compare to previous sessions for progress monitoring

Weekly Review

At week’s end, review the dashboard in Spleeft App:

• 1RM Estimates: Are they trending upward?

• Average Training Velocities: Are athletes maintaining velocity at similar loads?

• Velocity Loss Patterns: Any red flags indicating accumulated fatigue?

This data-driven approach transforms programming from educated guessing into precision training—and that’s the real power of understanding how to program with VBT.

Autoregulation and Daily Readiness: The VBT Advantage

One of the most valuable aspects of VBT is its capacity for autorregulación—adjusting training loads and volumes based on real-time performance indicators¹⁶¹⁷.

Traditional programs assume that Tuesday will always be a good day for heavy squats. Reality doesn’t work that way. Sleep debt, psychological stress, travel, and life outside the gym all impact performance.

Research shows that velocity is more sensitive to readiness changes than either load lifted or RPE¹⁷. An athlete might hit their prescribed numbers on a low-readiness day, but the grinding slow reps reveal they’re working much harder than intended.

Using Spleeft App for Readiness Monitoring

Spleeft App compares your current session velocity to your historical average for the same load. Here’s how to interpret the data:

• Velocity > 5% above average: High readiness—consider adding load or volume

• Velocity within 5% of average: Normal readiness—proceed as planned

• Velocity 5-10% below average: Moderate fatigue—consider reducing load by 5%

• Velocity > 10% below average: Low readiness—reduce volume and intensity, focus on recovery

This isn’t about babying athletes. It’s about training smart. The goal is progressive overload over time, and that requires strategic management of fatigue within individual sessions and across training cycles.

Common 5 Mistakes When Learning How to Program with VBT

As with any methodology, there are pitfalls to avoid:

Mistake 1: Obsessing Over Velocity Numbers Instead of Intent

VBT only works when athletes move with maximal intent². If they’re pacing themselves or not trying to accelerate the bar, the velocity data is meaningless. Coach intent first, track velocity second.

Mistake 2: Setting Velocity Targets Too Narrowly

A target of “exactly 0.75 m/s” creates unnecessary stress and decision paralysis. Use ranges (0.70-0.80 m/s) that account for natural rep-to-rep variation.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Individual Differences

While group velocity standards exist, individual athletes may show different profiles². Some naturally move faster at all loads; others are grinders. Build individual profiles before making programming decisions.

Mistake 4: Neglecting the Warm-Up Protocol

Consistent warm-up routines reduce velocity variability and make your data more reliable⁶. Standardize your approach.

Mistake 5: Using VBT Without Context

Velocity data doesn’t replace coaching knowledge—it enhances it. The numbers inform decisions; they don’t make them for you.

Integrating VBT Into Existing Programs

You don’t need to overhaul everything to benefit from VBT. Here’s a graduated approach:

Phase 1: Add velocity tracking to your current program. Collect data, build profiles, learn the numbers.

Phase 2: Introduce velocity-based autoregulation. Use velocity loss thresholds to determine when sets end.

Phase 3: Begin prescribing by velocity zones for key exercises. Maintain percentage-based work for accessories.

Phase 4: Full VBT integration. All primary lifts programmed by velocity, with historical data driving periodization decisions.

Spleeft App supports every phase of this journey, from simple velocity tracking to sophisticated load-velocity profiling and 1RM estimation.

The Research-Backed Case for VBT

The evidence supporting VBT continues to grow:

• Meta-analyses show VBT effectively enhances maximal strength (SMD = 0.76), strength endurance (SMD = 1.19), jump performance (SMD = 0.53), and **sprint ability (SMD = -0.40)**¹⁸.

• Velocity feedback during training increases peak power output by approximately 8-9% compared to no-feedback conditions¹⁹.

• Low velocity loss thresholds (10-20%) produce similar or greater strength gains than high thresholds while requiring 50% fewer repetitions¹⁰¹².

• VBT enables safer 1RM estimation, particularly valuable for youth athletes and return-to-play protocols²⁰.

The bottom line: VBT isn’t just another training fad. It’s a methodology grounded in exercise physiology and supported by a robust body of peer-reviewed research.

Preguntas frecuentes

Can I use VBT without expensive equipment?

Absolutely. While dedicated velocity devices offer high accuracy, apps like Aplicación Spleeft leverage your smartphone’s sensors and Apple Watch integration to provide reliable velocity data at a fraction of the cost. Research shows smartphone-based systems can achieve correlations above r > 0.95 with gold-standard linear transducers for many applications.

How long does it take to see results from VBT programming?

Most athletes notice improvements in training quality immediately—better rep consistency, more appropriate load selection, and clearer feedback on effort. Objective strength gains typically emerge within 4-8 weeks of consistent implementation, similar to traditional programs but with better gestión de la fatiga.

Is VBT appropriate for beginner lifters?

Yes, with some considerations. Beginners often lack the motor coordination to display consistent velocities early in their training career. Focus on building movement competency first, then introduce velocity monitoring as technique stabilizes. VBT can actually help beginners learn appropriate effort levels by providing objective feedback on their rep quality.

What’s the difference between mean velocity and peak velocity?

Mean velocity is the average speed across the entire concentric phase—this is the most commonly used metric and correlates best with relative load. Velocidad máxima is the highest instantaneous velocity achieved during the lift. Most research and practical applications rely on mean velocity or mean propulsive velocity (which excludes the deceleration phase in non-ballistic lifts)².

How often should I retest 1RM when using VBT?

One major advantage of VBT is that you rarely need to perform true 1RM testing. Your load-velocity profile provides a continuously updated estimate based on submaximal training data. Formal re-testing might occur every 8-12 weeks for validation purposes, but the day-to-day estimate from Spleeft App keeps you informed without the fatigue and injury risk of maximal attempts.

Iván de Lucas Rogero

Aplicación de rendimiento físico y CEO de MSC

Dedicado a mejorar el rendimiento atlético y el entrenamiento ciclista, combinando ciencia y tecnología para impulsar resultados.

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